Apparatus for preventing premature burial.



No. 658,247. Patented Sept. l8, I900.

- C. A. DIETRICHS. APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING PREMATURE BURIAL'Q" (Application filed Mar. 19, 1900A (no mm.) 2 Sheats$heet Fly/2 YIIMIIIIII/II/II'II/IIIIIII/IIIIII/I/IMIII/IIMIII/ IN VE/VTOH m: nouns PETERS co. wonmuwa. WASHKNGTON: a. Q

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C. A. DIETRICHS. APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING PREMATURE BURIAL'IE (Application filed Mar. 19, 1900.\

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UNHED STATES 4 PATENT OFFIQE.

CHRISTIAN A. DIETRICHS, OF NEw YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF o THEODORE ORTMANN, OF SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING PREMATURE BURIAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 658,247, dated September 18, 1900.

Application filed March 19, 1900. Serial No. 9,272. iNo model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN A. DIET- RIOHS, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Preventing Premature Burial, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is intended to provide an improved apparatus for preventing the premature burial of persons while in a trance or apparently dead and before positive signs of death have appeared and providing means of resuscitation and detection in case of returning life; and theinvention consists of an apparatus for preventing premature burial, comprising an air-tight inclosing receptacle, a coffin in said receptacle, an air-supply pipe, an air-exhaust pipe, auxiliary pipes connecting the air supply and exhaust pipes with the interior of the receptacle, and flexible pipes connecting the auxiliary pipes with the upper part of the coffin; and the invention consists, further, in certain other combinations of operative parts, which will be more fully described hereinafter and finally claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan view of an observationchamber for use in connection with my improved apparatus for preventing premature burial. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on line 2 2, Fig. 1. a horizontal section, a vertical longitudinal section, and a vertical transverse section of my improved apparatus, respectively,on lines 3 3, Fig. l, 4 4, Fig. 3, and 5 5, Fig. 3, Fig. 5 showing the receptacle in open position for receiving the coffin; and Fig. 6 is a side elevation, on a larger scale, of one form of electric signal device used in connection with my improved apparatus.

Similar letters of reference indicate corr'esponding'parts.

Referring to the drawings, A represents an observation chamber of sufficien't size for placinga number of my improved apparatus for preventing premature burial in the same. The observation chamber A is properly lighted and ventilated and arranged adjacent to a smaller room 13, in which a furnace B is arranged that serves in connection with a Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are chimney B for ventilating the interior of my improved apparatus after the proper connections with the same are made. An air-inlet shaft Ois arranged in the furnace-room B, in which the entering air is heated, so as to be conducted in warm state by an air-supply pipe D to the receptacles F in the observation-chamber A. At the opposite side of the room is arranged an exhaust-pipe E, which leads into the ash-pit of the furnace. Both pipes-the air and supply pipeas well as the exhaust-pipe-are connected by smaller pipes h and h with the air-tight receptacles F, in which the coffins, with the bodies, are placed after the funeral ceremonies are over. The receptacles are made of wood or any other suitable material and provided at one side with a door F,'which is" hinged at its lower edge to the lower part of the side wall of the receptacle and which is rabbeted in the nature of the doors of refrigerators and provided with rubber packing-strips, so as to form a tightly-closing joint with the side wall of the receptacle F. To the outer and upper end of the hinged door F are applied hinged legsf, which support the side door F when lowered in horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 5. To the inside of the door and to the bottom of the receptacle F are attached stationary tracks f which are preferably connected by a short folding track-piece), which can be folded over the track f at the bottom of the receptacle F, 'as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5, when the door is to be closed. The tracks serve for the purpose of guiding a truck F on which the coffin G is placed and by means of which and the tracks f f it may be conveniently moved into the receptacle, as shown in Fig. 5. Inthe top of the receptacle andcoffin are placed large registering glass panels 10 p for observation purposes. Before the coffin is placed into the receptacle it is provided at its upper part and at the head and foot of the same with bored apertures for inserting the ends of the set of flexible pipes g g, which areconnected by auxiliary valved air supply and exhaust pipes g g arranged at opposite ends of the receptacle with the air supply and exhaust pipes D and E, respectively. The flexible pipes g g are both connected with the upper part or lid of the coffin, as shown in Figs. 3 and At. The air supply and exhaust pipes D and E are also connected by a set of auxiliary pipes 71, h with the interior of the receptacle F, so that by the pipes described not only a current of air can be maintained through the interior of the coffin, but also the interior of the receptacle, so that the continnous renewal of the air at the inside of the coffin and receptacle can take place.

Before the coliin is closed and placed into the receptacle F an electric alarm-signaling device is arranged on the chest and nostrils of the body in the coffin, said signaling device consisting of a block L, to the upright standard m of which is fulcrumed a lever 'm, i

which is connected atone end by means of a helical spring 172 with an eye or hook m on the biock L and by a forked pivot-hook n at the opposite longer end with the nostrils of the head of the body in the coffin. On the block is arranged a spring contact-plate 0 and on the end of the fulcru med lever m a second spring contact-plate 0, the latter'being connected by a suitable conducting-wire o with one pole of a battery, while the spring contact-plate 0 is connected by a Wire 0 with the opposite pole of the battery. In the circuit is arranged asuitable alarm device which is preferably located in the room in which a watchman or other attendant is stationed during the day and night. Should the body in the coflin move, either by the heaving of the chest I) or a change in the position of the head, the leverm' will be instantly released Z having a hinged side door, connecting tracks Q on the inside of the door and bottom of the freceptacle, and a truck for supporting the under the influence of its spring, so that the electric circuit closes and the alarm-signal given and immediate attention drawn to the fact that some change has taken place in. one of the apparatus in the receiving-chamber. As the air in the coffin and receptacle is continuously renewed, the body in the coffin, if revived from a trance or comatose state, Will be able to breathe fresh healthy air until the assistance called by the alarm-signal would be at hand.

After the connections of the coffin with the air supply and exhaust pipes have been made it is obvious that by the draft induced by theehimney of the furnace a current of fresh air will be continuously passed through the coffin and inclosing receptacle, while the electric circuit under normal conditions of the corpse would not be called into action, except in case the person is reviving, in which case the alarm-signal will be sounded and assistance be given to the person in the coffin.

Any approved construction of alarm device may be used and any approved system of furnace and chimney for ventilating the receptacle and burning the gases be employed.

My improved apparatus has the advantage that all danger of premature burial will be prevented, as no corpse would be buried until absolute signs of death have been established; secondly, that in case of the revival 1 of a body while in the cofiin a chance of re- 1 suscitation and restoration will be given by the supply of fresh air and the immediate attention that is called to the case; thirdly, that all obnoxious or infectious gases are drawn off and burned in the furnace, and, fourthly, that the direct burial of the dead in the graves and the inconveniences connected therewith would be dispensed with and a more rational form of burial service in the observation-chamber substituted therefor.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An apparatus for preventing premature burial, consisting of an air-tight inclosing receptacle, a coffin in said receptacle, an airsupply pipe, an air-exhaust pipe, auxiliary pipes connecting the air supply and exhaust pipes with the interior of the receptacle, and flexible pipes connecting the auxiliary pipes with the upper part of the coffin, substantially as set forth.

2. An apparatus for preventing premature burial, consisting of anair-tight inclosing receptacle, a coffin in said receptacle, an airsupply pipe and an air-exhaust pipe, two sets of auxiliary pipes connecting said air supply and exhaust pipes with the receptacle, and

, flexible pipes connecting one setof said auxi iliary pipes with the-coffin, substantially as P set forth.

3. In an apparatus for preventing premature burial, an air-tight inclosing receptacle coffin, substantially as set forth.

4. In an apparatus for preventing prema' ture burial an air-tight inclosing receptacle 1 having a hinged side door, tracks on the inside of said door and on the bottom of the receptacle, hinged links connecting said tracks when the side door is lowered, and hinged legs for supporting the side door in lowered position, substantially as set forth.

5. An apparatus forpreventing premature burial, consisting of an air-tight inclosing receptacle, a coffin in said receptacle, an airsupply pipe, an air-exhaust pipe, two sets of auxiliary pipes connecting said air supply and exhaust pipes with the receptacle, fiexible pipes connecting one set of auxiliary pipes with the coffin, and a furnace connected with the main exhaust-pipe for ventilating thereceptacle and coffin and burning the obnoxious gases drawn off, substantially as set forth;

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHRISTIAN A. DIETRIGHS.

Witnesses:

PAUL GOEPEL, THEODORE ORTMANN. 

